A mathematical constant is a special number, usually a real number, that is "significantly interesting in some way". Constants arise in many different areas of mathematics, with constants such as e and π occurring in such diverse contexts as geometry, number theory and calculus.
What it means for a constant to arise "naturally", and what makes a constant "interesting", is ultimately a matter of taste, and some mathematical constants are notable more for historical reasons than for their intrinsic mathematical interest. The more popular constants have been studied throughout the ages and computed to many decimal places.
All mathematical constants are definable numbers and usually are also computable numbers (Chaitin's constant being a significant exception).
Read more about Mathematical Constant: Common Mathematical Constants, Table of Selected Mathematical Constants
Famous quotes containing the words mathematical and/or constant:
“It is by a mathematical point only that we are wise, as the sailor or the fugitive slave keeps the polestar in his eye; but that is sufficient guidance for all our life. We may not arrive at our port within a calculable period, but we would preserve the true course.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The constant abrasion and decay of our lives makes the soil of our future growth.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)